Funeral for a Friend
by Gothic984
Summary: It's the day of both Poppy Bowen and Tony Muler's funeral, causing Lucas to evaluate Gail's behaviour of late.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories and follows on from Aftermath.

It was a dreary afternoon in Trinity South Carolina, the strong wind echoed throughout the cold Church and Caleb Temple tried to shake off the eerie feeling of intruding in a place that he did not belong.

Caleb had nothing against Churches or Religion, it was something he was aware of as this was a strongly religious community; however, he himself had not committed to that kind of higher power and it had never been something he had considered previously, except when Miss Holt had attempted to take him to a Sunday service. That had not turned out well for him in the past and the only thing he had gotten from that experience was a ruined shirt.

He put part of the discomfort he was experiencing now down to the reason he was here and the other part down to his Father. Merlyn had told him in the past that Lucas was not worthy or any kind of peace that a place like this could offer and he suspected the same went for him seen as they were bound by blood. Caleb supposed he was alright with that, providing he had his family around him.

Right now he was sat between Gail and Lucas, waiting for the service to be over. He leaned into his cousin, sick of listening to the Preacher drone on about the almighty heavenly Father and let out a relieved breath when he felt her arm come around him to pull him closer.

Gail had been like a ray of light recently when he felt himself being consumed by darkness, she had been the first person he saw when he got up every morning and the last one he saw before going to sleep. He had tried to act strong and pretend Poppy's death had not impacted him as much as it had; however, she appeared to see right though his facade and reassured him that everything would be alright.

While the Preacher droned on about how much Poppy had meant to the community and how tragic it was that she was taken away so soon, all Lucas could think about was the short black dress Gail was wearing and the fact that his access to her had been restricted with Caleb being between them. He knew these thoughts were disrespectful to girl; however, so were the false words from the Preacher and it amazed him that someone who had never even met her had so much to say.

Lucas had not wanted to subject Caleb to this charade, the boy had genuinely cared for Poppy and would deal with what happened in his own way. All this funeral service did was ponder to his townspeople's incessant need to insert themselves into each others business and it was unfortunate he had to be present for this spectacle. Poppy was gone; however, people felt the need to pretend that they had contributed to her life in some way and he found it all laughable.

'Careful sweetheart...' Gail leaned over Caleb and whispered quietly, '...If that grin of yours gets any wider people will think you're actually having fun at a poor girl's funeral'

Lucas inhaled her sweet scent and it caused his urges to go crazy. His love had not catered to his needs as much since the incident with Poppy, as she had ensured she was with Caleb each morning when he woke up. Although her desire to ensure his son was well taken care of should make him happy, it had started to cause a strange feeling of resentment for the boy as he was not used to sharing.

Gail sensed his thoughts and smiled. 'Now, now soulmate, it's not fair to put all that on a young boy. You're plenty taken care of and there's enough of me to go around' she whispered in a mock scolding manner.

'Who says I blame him, he's not the one that got us into this mess' he whispered in frustration and watched as her smile faded.

Caleb lifted his head slightly, forcing distance between them both and stared at Lucas curiously. His Father had been different with him recently and he wondered if it was due to his dwelling on Poppy's death. He hoped Lucas was not mad at him, he had attempted to remain unfazed by all of this and could not handle his Father being disappointed in him right now.

'Don't give that a second thought' Lucas whispered into his ear reassuringly, then shot Gail a disapproving look.

Gail exhaled deeply, sick of his constant need to reprimand her for what she had allowed and turned her attention back towards the Preacher. Although this funeral service was truly lovely, it was a sham and she wanted to get Caleb out of here as soon as possible.

'Before we lay this beautiful girl to rest, I'd like to invite you all to share a few words about what Poppy meant to you' The Preacher offered to the funeral goers.

When no-one moved, Caleb stood up from his seated position and slowly walked towards the small podium at the side of the coffin. He stared down at his hands nervously, then caught sight of his cousin smiling proudly at him and found his voice. 'Me and Poppy met about a year ago, when I was playin' in the Junkyard...She coulda told on me, but she didn't. She was nice like that and we became good friends...'

'You should be proud of his courage' Gail said quietly, when Lucas slid closer to her and placed his hand on her knee.

Lucas nodded for Caleb to continue when he sensed the nerves starting to get the better of him, then turned his attention towards Gail and ran his hand up her thigh. 'He knows what he means to me, he's a Buck and a pretty damn fine one at that' he whispered, then leaned in and kissed her neck softly.

Gail inhaled deeply and attempted to ignore the tingling sensation between her legs. 'He doesn't know that and it would be nice if you said it once in a while' she scolded and continued to focus on Caleb.

'That boy doesn't need to be babied, he's provin' right now that he can handle himself just fine' Lucas said, as he pushed his hand discreetly under her dress and began to stroke her sweet spot teasingly.

Gail attempted to remove his hand from it's current position; however, Lucas pulled her close with his free hand and quickened the movements with his fingers. 'This isn't right' she whispered seriously.

'And neither was this poor girls life endin' so prematurely, but that doesn't seem to bother you' Lucas berated quietly and felt himself getting excited as her breath quickened.

Gail closed her eyes momentarily at the surge of pleasure flowing through her and used all of her self control to force her demeanour to remain unchanged. She understood that this was yet another punishment for her actions and as they were in public, she was powerless to stop it.

She smiled reassuringly at Caleb, when he noticed how close Lucas was holding her and leaned into her husband to provide a united appearance. When her climax started to rise, she felt herself begin to lose control and did not know what to do.

Lucas sensed her impending climax and pulled her head to his chest, to stifle her moans. When he noticed the people behind them watching them carefully, he stroked her head tenderly and embraced her reassuringly. 'It's alright love, she's in a better place now' he said soothingly, then winked at Gail playfully when she lifted her head and shot him a disgusted glance.

Caleb saw Gail appearing to cry on Lucas' chest and felt himself becoming upset; therefore, he quickly finished his sentence and rushed down to be with her. He sat at the other side of her and situated himself under her arm, then hugged her reassuringly. 'It's alright cous', it's all gonna be OK' he advised, resting his head on her chest.

Gail held Caleb close and squeezed him tight, while Lucas still keep his hold on her possessively. This was turning into a nightmare, all the while Lucas remained untouched by his inappropriate actions. If anything he was being depicted as the loving, supportive husband and the thought sickened her.

'You married me Darlin'' Lucas whispered mockingly.

'And I can still divorce you honey' she whispered sarcastically.

The Preacher signalled for them all to stand up as the service came to a close and Caleb held on to Gail tight as people were ushered out of the Church. He gave one last sad glance at Poppy's coffin before being pulled away gently and followed his cousin obediently.

When he walked out of the large church doors, he stared up at the dull clouds overhead and closed his eyes as heavy rain began to fall. He stood still for a moment, letting the drops trail down his face, then spotted Merlyn at the corner of the Church and rushed towards her.

Gail watched as Merlyn hugged her brother and smiled when she nodded to indicate that she was OK. Matt was in work today and her cousin had made it clear that she wanted to be left alone at the back of the Church, to allow herself to deal with her emotions alone. Gail had not approved of this decision; however, she respected her wishes and had ensured Caleb remained with them. Now it appeared she needed her brother, so Gail nodded her approval of them wandering off for some time together and glanced around under the shelter of her umbrella.

This whole situation was strange, the loss of someone so young was always tragic and Gail knew deep down that this was on her; however, she felt a sort of detachment when she thought of Poppy and the only thing that affected her right now was how her family was coping.

Before she had a chance to ponder over the matter, she spotted two women heading in her direction and quickly turned her back to them. She glanced around for Lucas, as he always handled these awkward conversations better than her; however, he was no where to be found. Without a second thought, she headed back into the deserted Church and closed the large doors. She prayed the busybodies would just leave her alone and not follow her back in here, she had performed like the perfect wife for long enough today and it was about time that she had a break.

'And here I thought you were feelin' some remorse for your actions and wanted to say one last farewell to this fiery red head' Lucas said sarcastically, as he stood over Poppy's closed coffin.

Gail approached him cautiously, surprised that he had returned here when he clearly disliked being inside a Church. 'Remorse is for babies, adults are required to accept their actions and move on' she advised, when she reached the coffin and stood on the opposite side to him.

Lucas let out a small laugh and shook his head. 'We really are soulmates, you know that?'

'How so?' Gail asked curiously, as she watched him carefully.

'We both know what we have to do and just get on with it' he explained, as he closed the distance between them. 'You know this is the third Church we've been in together within the space of a year? I'm not accustomed to this and it makes me act in all kinds of colourful ways, as you've previously experienced'

Gail sensed his desire instantly and started to back away slowly. 'We both know how to act appropriately in a place of God Lucas, we will honour that' she advised sternly, not caring for the dark glint in his eyes.

'You think I wanna hurt you Gail?' he asked curiously, reaching for her arm before she got out of range and pulled her to him.

'I think you want to be in control of everything and want to smite anyone or anything that doesn't conform to your ways'

Lucas laughed, then led her past the coffin and to the large alter where two long candles stood parallel on either end. 'I don't wanna smite you wife, I'm too fond of you for that'

Gail felt a surge of excitement flow through her and attempted to push it down. She sensed what he wanted; however, this was inappropriate in their current setting and she had been raised better than this 'If you're that fond of me husband, you'll adhere to my beliefs'

'You don't believe in God love...it may have been drilled into you as a child, but you've made up your own mind since then' Lucas stated knowingly.

'I don't know what I believe in sweetheart, but I know what's appropriate and the look in your eyes right now certainly isn't' she advised disapprovingly.

Lucas smiled devilishly and pushed her gently down onto the alter. He was careful not to hurt her; however, he would remain in control. 'What we do isn't inappropriate, far from it. If anythin' it adheres to the Godly message of spreadin' love and all that garbage'

Gail felt her body start to betray her when he slowly removed her panties and parted her legs. She truly wanted to make him stop; however, her desire was too great and she yearned to have him inside of her. 'For the record, I'm stating categorically that is wrong' she said, then let out a loud moan when he gently pushed himself inside of her.

'Noted...but just so we're clear, you set your mutt onto that poor girl without batting an eye lid and you believe this is wrong?' he asked amused.

Gail rolled her eyes at his comment and chose not to engage anymore. She allowed him to take her tenderly and just hoped this would be over with soon, so she could get on with punishing herself for allowing this to act happen in this setting.

'For the record...' Lucas panted quietly, '...we're officially consummating our marriage under the eyes of God. That ain't wrong Darlin', it's actually poetic in a way'

Gail laughed in disbelief, then pulled him to her and kissed him passionately. She knew there was no point fighting him, it would only turn a loving act into something dark and the way they took each in that scenario certainly would be sacrilegious; therefore, she just relaxed and let him take her softly.

Lucas smiled when she did not fight him and kept his movements gentle. It had been a long time since they had been together in this gentle way and it was refreshing to know this side of her still existed. There may just be hope for his love yet.

Their climax started to build together and Lucas quickened his pace, sensing the last of the funeral goers had begun to leave. He thrust in and out of her, not able to get enough of the feeling of being inside of her and buried his head in her chest to stifle his calls when his orgasm hit. Gail bit her lip hard to stop from calling out his name, then held him close as they both attempted to regain their breath.

Lucas pulled out of her and cleaned her up with his handkerchief, just before the Preacher re-entered the Church and walked towards them. 'It was a great service Dale, you did the girl justice' Lucas smiled and shook the mans hand.

Gail approached the coffin and placed her hand on the top gently. 'You're free now' she whispered, then walked out of the Church without addressing the Preacher.

Lucas watched as she left, then glanced down at the coffin and let out a long exasperated breath.

'Did it hit her hard?' Dale asked, as he watched Gail leave.

'More than she cares to admit' Lucas advised then nodded towards Dale and left the Church, ready to head to his second funeral of the day.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Selena Coombs sat at the counter of Jimmy's Bar, waiting impatiently for her third Martini. With both Poppy Bowen and Tony Mulers funerals being on the same day, the past few hours had been uneventful and she was beginning to feel left out. She was starting to wonder what she had done so badly in life to warrant the isolation that she was experiencing. She had given up everything in life to be a loyal servant; however, that had been thrown back in her face on several occasions.

'Oh come on now, your life ain't that bad' came the smooth familiar southern tone from her left and Selena turned to see Lucas sat casually next to her drinking a beer. 'You had it good for a long spell, some people aren't even lucky enough to have that'

Selena inhaled deeply to hide her surprise and attempted to remain cool. His presence here was strange considering he was expected to attend both funerals; however, she did not dare question his intentions. Even after everything he had done to her, his closeness still excited her and she was a slave to his will. 'I never thought you'd be caught dead this close to me, not while the gossiping biddies have a direct line to your wife these days' she said cattily, trying to remain calm.

Lucas glanced over his shoulder, then shrugged. 'No-one cares about runnin' to my wife, I'm a nobody' he said, then took a sip of his beer.

Selena smiled excitedly, she sensed this was her old lover and she was taken aback by this turn in him. She glanced around the bar and was surprised that no-one was watching them; however, this was Lucas Buck and people knew better than to pry into his business, especially when he was with her. 'Well I'm a nobody too these days, I suppose I have you to thank for that' she sighed and finished her Martini.

Lucas took a large sip of his beer, then signalled to the bartender to refill her glass. 'A woman like you is never a nobody, I'm surprised you even noticed me' he said, then finished his beer and watched as Selena downed her drink.

Selena allowed the buzz of the alcohol to consume her and smiled at his comment. 'You're hard to miss Darlin'' she mocked in her best southern drawl, 'What's say we get out of here and go somewhere more private? Or are you concerned with what the little wife will say?'

Lucas smiled and looked around the bar to ensure they were not being watched, then got up off of the bar stool. 'Alright Teacher, let's blow this joint' he smiled, then allowed her to leave first before he followed.

* * *

Merlyn walked with Caleb around the deserted streets, as the rain became heavier. They had not spoken, just held hands and walked together silently while the rain rolled off of their soaked skin, enjoying each others company.

She had taken Poppy's death hard, more so when she came to the realisation that Gail must have involved. Merlyn had wanted to hate her cousin for what she had allowed to happen, the thoughts of how Poppy had suffered had kept her awake almost every night; however, witnessing how easily Gail had stabbed a man in the throat after he had shot Gideon and the lost look that had been in her eyes, made her realise how much she had truly failed her family and her hatred was replaced with guilt.

How could she have let this happen? Merlyn had witnessed the evil acts that had been committed in this town, she knew what would happen if she allowed her family to align themselves with Lucas Buck and she had not tried hard enough to save them from this fate. She had been given a second chance in life and rather than using the wisdom she had gained from the other side to help her family, she had become content with a normal life and playing house with a Doctor.

Merlyn could place the blame with Lucas, the man was evil and the only explanation she had for her cousins complete turn was him; however, Lucas was transparent for the most part, he did not pretend to be a good soul and did not even bother to hide his intentions from them. The one who had kept secrets was her and if she had been honest with Gail straight away about how she had been murdered, maybe things would be different now.

Caleb sensed his sisters sadness and leaned his head on her arm lovingly. They had grown apart these last few months with them not living together; however, he still loved her dearly and was thankful she was part of his life. 'How did you come back Merly?' he asked curiously.

Merlyn thought about telling him some lie about how it was all meant to be, then remembered that lies were what had gotten them where they were now. 'I don't know Caleb, one day I was a ghost and the next I was here' she answered honestly and wrapped her arm around his shoulder.

'Do you ever wonder how it happened?' he asked, wondering whether Poppy could come back.

'I have a theory' Merlyn admitted, sensing how upset her brother really was and deciding to provide a distraction.

Caleb stopped, then looked up at her surprised. 'Well spit it out' he ordered, curious as to what she knew. He had not really considered her miraculous presence with him and he suspected this conversation would have been forbidden if Gail or Lucas was around them.

Merlyn glanced around to ensure they were truly alone, then pulled him into the park they had began walking past and sat down on a bench. 'Well, I initially thought it was our family, but surely they would've stepped in straight after I died. I thought it was Lucas at some point...'

'But how could he and why would he?' Caleb interrupted, starting to feel excited over the prospect of an actual mystery to solve.

'I know right?' Merlyn answered, then went back to her initial train of thought. 'The option I was pushin' away the most is the one I think is more likely, given the recent turn of events'

Caleb thought for a moment, then shrugged. 'I still don't know what it could be, spill!'

Merlyn let out a long breath, then leaned back in the booth. 'Have you ever wondered what happened to Gail's baby?'

'Luke's with Abe, we don't need to wonder about him'

Merlyn laughed and shook her head in disbelief. 'Her first baby silly'

'The one that I...' Caleb started, then felt guilt surge through him and was too upset to finish the sentence.

'The one we both couldn't protect' Merlyn said reassuringly and stroked his cheek gently.

'He died Merly' Caleb shrugged, not wanting to think about this.

'A soul doesn't just die Caleb, it can live on...How do you think I could come to you after I died?' she asked.

Caleb thought for a moment, then remembered how she had somehow used Lucy to become whole when she had not been born yet. 'You think your bein' here is 'cause of him?' he asked confused.

'Well Gail really, but maybe she subconsciously wanted him to be in a good place' she shrugged, 'I like to think I'm good'

'Of course you are' Caleb smiled and leaned back on the bench with her.

Merlyn smiled back warmly, then regarded him carefully. 'Gail was good and pure for a long time, she tried to remain that way but seems to have lost her way recently. Are you keepin' on the right path Caleb?' she asked, trying to keep her concern hidden.

Caleb stared up at her innocently; however, he felt a wave of suspicion flow through him and somehow knew it was important to remain unchanged. 'I'm good Merly, Gail's good too...We're all good and you don't need to worry about us' he reassured her, sensing there was something beneath her apparent concern for him.

Merlyn forced a smile and stared at her brother for a moment, sensing him close off to her. She had hoped this conversation would have opened him up more; however, he appeared to see through her tactics. 'I'm glad you're all good...I just wanna make sure we're all on the same page' she said.

'We are Merly, don't you worry about us' he advised, then sat in silence while thunder began to crash overhead and wondered what his sister was up to.

* * *

Selena lifted her dress over her head and threw it on the stained Motel carpet, as she climbed on top Lucas. He was not one for this type of establishment and always swore he would never come to such a place; however, this was his suggestion, therefore, she assumed he wanted to stay out of any of his usual haunts to ensure Gail did not catch them.

Part of her felt a little bad for what she was doing, considering Gail had made a deal to protect her and had actually kept up her side of the bargain. The woman had given her a glimpse of what friendship could look like in the past, more so than any other women she had met; however, she was drawn to Lucas and she could not help herself now that he was showing her some interest.

She allowed him to run his hands over her naked body, then placed him inside of her and began to ride him. Although she was happy for the intimacy, something felt different and she could not put her finger on it. Selena continued to move her hips in the way he always liked and disregarded his requests for her to slow down. She knew what he craved and how he liked this, she was determined to prove she was still what he needed and let out a soft moan to indicate she was with him.

Suddenly she felt him explode within her before she was even close to reaching her climax, which prompted her to open her eyes and stare down at him in confusion. She looked on in horror as the overweight bald man who she recognised from the till at her local Grocery Store lay beneath her and felt the sticky sweat on his swollen stomach that she had been stroking. She did not know what had happened; however, this had been Lucas previously, she had met him in the bar and they had come here together.

When she thought back to Jimmy's Bar, she shook her head in disgust as she realised the large man had been the one sat beside her the whole time. She played their conversation in her head and it was him that she had been talking to, not Lucas.

Selena jumped off the bed and ran into the shower, she washed the stench of him off of her skin with boiling hot water and dressed quickly, before leaving him asleep on the Motel bed. When she closed the door and stared down at the parking lot disgusted at herself, she let out a small shudder as she saw Lucas staring up at her with a devilish grin.

* * *

Lucas opened his eyes and could not hide his grin, then realised where he actually was and regained his focus as the Preacher recited passages from the Old Testament.

Gail sat in the middle of Lucas and her Uncle Abe at Tony Mulers funeral, she had no desire to be here considering what that man had done to Gideon; however, Lucas had made it clear that any disobedience on this matter would be met with brutal consequences. Although she was intrigued as to how far he would take his threat, she did not believe pushing him further than she already had was the best play here.

Abe held Luke close to his chest, while the Preacher presided over the funeral. He had taken Poppy's death hard and allowing him to look after Luke more often these days appeared to help him with his grief. Poppy had been a new addition in his life when he employed her and her assistance at his Antique Store had relieved some of the pressures he was experiencing in his old age. Gail did not know how she was going to fix this for him; however, she would not allow him to suffer for what she had done.

Lucas sensed her mind wander and placed his arm around her dominantly. 'You killed my friend Darlin', the least you could do is appear slightly interested in his funeral' he said in an agitated tone.

Gail rolled her eyes and inhaled deeply, she was getting sick of his constant remarks and if he did not ease up soon she would bite back.

Lucas held in his laughter when he read her mind and shook his head. 'There'll be no biting back, no playful retaliation or any sort of game Gail' he ordered, leaning in close and whispering into her ear.

'And if I decided to question every immoral thing that you've done?' she whispered defiantly.

'I'm not the one who's gone completely off the rails here. I have air tight methods, you knew what you were gettin' into when you married me and my actions would never impact our family' he advised.

'You mean like when you killed your sons Mother and Sister?' she asked irritated, not hiding her underlying judgemental tone.

Lucas stared down at her dominantly and shot her a look of warning when she stared up at him defiantly. This was not the time or place for her to finally bring up this subject and he did not have the patience for this right now.

Abe sensed the tension between them and leaned in close. 'If you two wanna have a lovers tiff that's fine, but for God's sake save it until this poor fool is buried' he scolded, then shifted Luke to a sitting position on his knee and tried to entertain the boy until this service was done.

Gail continued to stare at Lucas defiantly for a moment, then took his hand in hers and leaned into him affectionately. 'I'm sorry about your friend, but you shouldn't have pushed me that far' she whispered and ran her hand down his chest.

Lucas let out an exasperated breath and relaxed his hold on her, allowing her to rest her head comfortably on his shoulder. 'I accept your apology and will be more considerate of your urges in the future, but something has to give love' he whispered, knowing how hard it was for her to apologise and choosing to draw a line under the matter.

Gail chose to let his final comment go and watched the remainder of the service with no emotion at all.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Merlyn sat in the Study of the Buck Mansion, trying to get dry in front of the large fireplace. Caleb had not given her any information about her cousin like she had hoped; therefore, she had decided to try a different tactic and came home with him so they could both dry off.

Merlyn hated this place, she sensed the evil that resided here and it made her skin crawl. 'Do you feel that?' she asked Caleb curiously, as she warmed her hands by the fireplace.

'What? All I feel is soaked' he said, peeling his shirt off his wet skin.

'That presence silly' Merlyn sighed and rolled her eyes at him. 'I feel it every time I'm here and I don't know how you can put up with it'

Caleb was not blind to the presence within his home, it felt as though someone was watching him all of the time. At first it made him feel uneasy, now he was sort of thankful that he was never truly alone here and it made him feel safe. 'I like my home Merly, everythin' about it. If you don't like it here you should probably leave, Lucas wouldn't want you bein' here and sayin' anythin' bad anyway' he shrugged.

Merlyn stared at her brother in disbelief at his first instinct to adhere to Lucas' wishes, then let out a small laugh. There was one time when he could not get enough of her company and would not be able to bear sending her away, their lives had split from one an another and she believed it was important to reconnect fully with her family for their sake.

Caleb sensed a lecture coming on, so got up and headed towards the kitchen before his sister had a chance to start. 'I'm gonna get changed then make us a drink, you wait here and dry off' he ordered and rushed out of the room, ignoring her look of frustration.

Merlyn let out a long sigh, this was going to be harder than she had initially thought and she needed to find the best way to enable her brother to open up to her. Before she had a chance to consider her options, she felt something on her shoulder push her softly. She glanced around the room distrustfully; however, it appeared she was the only one here.

Suddenly the door to the Study started to open slowly and Merlyn froze, she did not know what was happening; however, she felt a strong urge to leave this place right now.

Lucas smiled to himself when his front door opened without any assistance from them and continued to kiss Gail passionately, as he carried her over the threshold. She had been well behaved at Tony's funeral and after he reluctantly dropped Abe off with Luke at his place, all he could think about was getting his love out of that little black dress and taking her hard.

Lucas was so consumed with desire that his urges would not allow him to make it to the bedroom with her, he wanted her now and he instinctively headed towards his Study with her securely in his arms. He was so distracted by his desire and the taste of her tongue in his mouth that he did not notice the intrusive feeling until Gail tensed in his arms, then it hit him hard and he placed her down gently.

Merlyn saw the darkness is Lucas' angry glare, then took a step back when she heard the familiar growl of Gideon as he approached her position slowly.

Gail spotted the fear in her cousins eyes and looked at her confused, unsure why she would be staring at her in that way. She turned to Lucas and saw his rage at being interrupted, then placed a hand on his chest and caressed his cheek softly.

Merlyn watched as Gideon placed himself between her and Lucas, seeming to want to protect her and shook her head when Gail whispered something into Lucas' ear, making him turn away and head out of the room. 'Don't you two give it a rest for two minutes?' she snapped moodily as she backed away from Gideon, not trusting him after what she suspected he did to Poppy.

'You're welcome' Gail said sarcastically, kneeling down to cuddle Gideon and ignoring her cousins discomfort.

Merlyn watched her closely, there was still something off about her and she did not trust her like she used to.

'Considering my dog was ready to do whatever he had to in order to protect you from my husband's reaction to your intrusion in his house, I'd say that warrants a little trust' Gail advised, then stood up when Caleb entered the room with two cups of hot milk.

'I didn't hear you come in' he said, as he handed Merlyn one of the cups and a towel.

'And we thought you two would be out somewhere fun, rather than sneaking around here' Gail advised and stroked his head affectionately.

'Merly wanted to come here' he admitted honestly.

Gail regarded Merlyn curiously for a moment, wondering why she would request to come to a place she usually detested, then chose to disregard her curiosity for the time being. 'Well I need to go see to your Father, seen as he's just buried his friend. Give us some time OK?' she asked, then headed out of the room when Caleb nodded obediently.

'We're her only livin' relatives and we just buried our friend too, why ain't she seein' to us?' Merlyn asked irritated.

Caleb sensed the moodiness in his sister and just shrugged, he knew better than to get involved with girl things; therefore, he just sat down on the couch and let his sister vent, while he signalled Gideon to come to him and stroked him affectionately.

* * *

Matt walked down the long overly bright hospital corridor and headed towards his office, holding a brown folder. His current patient was the last person he wanted to be spending his time with, considering how worried he was about M and Caleb; however, he was a professional and he could not choose who he decided to help, it was just not ethical.

When he entered his office door and left the door open, he forced a smile for Selena then sat down beside his desk. It was bad enough that he was stuck in work on the day of Poppy Bowen's funeral, he did not need the hospital staff talking about what may be happening behind the closed door of his office. 'Right, let's get started shall we?' he asked politely, then began reviewing Selena's records.

Selena glanced over her shoulder at the open door, then slowly got up and sauntered towards it. 'I won't bite Doctor, that pretty little thing of yours has nothing to worry about from me' she teased, then closed the door and returned to her seat.

Matt inhaled deeply to hide his irritation and continued to look through her file. 'Alright, how have you been feeling? Any pain?' he asked.

'Only my pain in the ass ex' Selena joked.

'Which one?' Matt smiled, not wanted to engage her anymore than he had to but unable to resist the lighthearted banter.

Selena laughed and shook her head. 'Well there's Billy who wants nothing to do with me but can't keep his eyes off me when we're in the same vicinity, then there's Lucas' she shrugged.

'What about Lucas?' Matt asked curiously, as he closed the file and placed it on his desk in front of him.

'Lucas is Lucas, the perfect southern specimen with that trusting smile...You've been on the other end of that double edged sword haven't you Matt?' she asked knowingly, happy to be talking to someone other than an obedient foot soldier.

'Where I've been is none of your concern, you need to focus on your health and getting the appropriate amount of rest' Matt advised, being careful not to be drawn into her obvious game.

Selena let out a small laugh and crossed her legs slowly, allowing a glimpse of her panties underneath her short skirt. 'A girl get's bored of resting Doctor, she needs a little excitement in her life. You should understand that from being with that young girl, I wonder how much excitement she garners out of you' she teased.

Matt felt himself becoming agitated with the mention of his relationship with M and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. 'Look Selena, this is serious. You sustained irreversible internal injuries due to your accidents and shacking up with anyone is not going to help your recovery' he warned seriously.

Selena tensed at the mention of her condition and sat up straight. 'No amount of rest is going to enable me to have children, so why bother? I appear to be permanently damaged so why not have a little fun while I still can?'

Matt sensed he had been insensitive and took a long breath, to regain his composure. 'What do you mean while you still can?' he asked curiously.

Selena stood up slowly and shook her head in exasperation. 'I'm glad you have it good Matt, you truly deserve it after what you've been through...but me, I just have to take every day as it comes. Lucas Buck won't be preoccupied for long and when he returns to his old ways we're all damned' she advised grimly, then sauntered out of the office and smiled cattily at the nurses that she passed.

* * *

Lucas ran his hands up the outside of Gail's bare thighs as she straddled him and called her name as his climax hit. After his initial disappointment at not having the place to themselves, he was pleased that she had left the children and had followed him to their bedroom, allowing him to continue with his initial plans.

He did not waste any time in removing her panties and bra; however, he wanted her to remain in that tight black lace dress a little longer, while he had his way with her. He had bent her over the bed and taken her hard at first, then it was her turn and she had pushed him down on the bed then climbed on top of him.

Gail let out a long aroused breath and dug her nails into his bare chest, as she felt his release inside of her. She sensed the best way to get everyone through this day in one piece was to keep her husband from focusing on his bad mood and she was more than happy to take one for the team. He was working her hard, she would give him that; however, this was a welcome distraction from her questionable urges of late, so she was throwing herself fully into whatever Lucas wanted to do.

Lucas sensed her thoughts and manoeuvred himself on top of her, then reached under their bed and pulled out 2 sets of handcuffs. 'You've been a bad girl Mrs Buck' he smiled devilishly, then took her hands and started to handcuff her wrists to the bed posts either side of the bed.

Gail had always warned him against trying to use handcuffs on her in the past, she did not like the lack of control they caused and she did not trust him to play fair. 'I didn't consent to this Master Buck and the children are only downstairs, so this isn't the time' she advised and tried to pull her free wrist away from him; however, he grabbed it back easily and closed the second handcuff, then placed the key on the bedside table.

'Merlyn's too busy attempting to figure out what's up with you and Caleb's focus is on talkin' her down from her suspicious mood...No-one's givin' a second thought to us up here love' he whispered in her ear, then leaned over her and ripped her dress open effortlessly to show her bare breasts.

Gail pulled at the handcuffs and felt the metal dig uncomfortably into her skin, she did not like the mischievous look in his eyes and certainly had no intention of playing the victim. 'Here I was thinking you liked this dress' she said, forcing a sarcastic tone to hide her discomfort.

Lucas sensed her unease and laughed, then knelt back down and began softly kissing her stomach. He moved down slowly between her legs then began licking and sucking her sweet spot, before pushing his tongue inside of her and savouring her taste.

Gail let out a loud moan and gripped the bedposts tight. Between the handcuffs and him holding her in place, it was hard to move. Being trapped was beginning to cause her frustration and she felt her darkness begin to rise within her.

This is what Lucas had been waiting for all day, any sign that she could feel something different to the calmness her darkness had been projecting within her. When he sensed her frustration and her darkness rising to take control, he positioned himself over her and thrust his manhood hard within her.

Gail let out a surprised yell at his painful entry, then called out as he began to pound in and out of her roughly. The intense pleasure that was surging through her caused all other thoughts to disappear and all that was left was her desire for him.

Lucas lifted her leg and rested it on his shoulder to allow him to push deeper inside of her, he sensed her darkness beginning to lose it's hold and she began to unravel. It did not take long for him to be ready for his release, with the overwhelming feeling of control that he had over her; however, he used all of his self control to push it down. Whenever he sensed her coming close to her climax he slowed his movements, then picked up the pace when the moments passed.

Gail tried to reach for him; however, she had lost all control with her hands bound. She was consumed with their intense union and everything else left her mind, leaving only him.

Lucas sensed her unwavering devotion and relinquished his control, allowing their climax to come together. He pushed as far as he could go when he felt himself explode within her and smiled when she called out his name over and over again. When she collapsed back into the mattress, he carefully leaned over and unlocked the handcuffs, allowing her to wrap her arms around him and pull him close.

Gail pulled him to her for a passionate kiss, then lay back and inhaled deeply as he rested his head on her chest. She allowed herself to be content in his arms for a moment, then suddenly an image of Poppy cowering in the Junkyard surged through her brain, causing her to let off an involuntary shudder.

Lucas felt her body shaking beneath him as he rested on her chest; however, he did not say a word. He had stripped away her guard and now it was time for her to deal with the consequences of what she had done.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Caleb sat with Merlyn on the side porch, watching as the rain continued to crash down in the garden. It had eased for a short time earlier; however, the heavens had opened suddenly and the rain did not appear to be stopping.

'We're all damned, this weather proves it' Merlyn sighed, as she drank the glass of red wine she had poured herself, ignoring Caleb's warnings of touching Lucas' possessions.

'We're not damned Merly, everythin's fine. Stop talkin' that way, you're gonna end up like Gage' Caleb sighed and drank his soda.

'You mean our Daddy? The only one you knew for the first 10 years of your life?' Merlyn asked, trying to make him feel guilty about falling for Lucas' tricks.

'You mean the one who abused you for 10 years after your Mother died and blamed you for her death?' Lucas asked Merlyn hurtfully, as he came out of the house and took the glass of wine out of her hand.

Merlyn stared at Lucas with disdain and stood up to meet him head on. 'What he did doesn't hold a torch to what you've done' she goaded, sensing the rage just beneath his surface.

'And what would that be Merlyn Ann, care to share?' Lucas asked, daring her to challenge him on his property.

'We've all sinned at one time or another, we're all as bad as each other so just drop it' Gail ordered as she came out of the house and took the glass of wine off Lucas, before sitting down beside Caleb and downing the drink.

Merlyn watched with disgust as Caleb leaned his head on Gail's shoulder and they both stared out peacefully into the garden. 'I ain't no sinner' she stated, then turned back towards Lucas and stood her ground.

'You ain't ever hurt no-one?' Caleb asked knowingly, thinking back to the plague she brought on the town and remembering how people had died.

Lucas smiled smugly at her and leaned in close. 'He ain't stupid Merlyn Ann, you're just as dirty as the rest of us and he knows it' he laughed.

'He likes his dirty girls' Peter Emory whispered in Gail's ear, knowing she had sensed what Lucas had said to Merlyn and began laughing as she closed her eyes in an attempt to drown him out.

Gail could not shake off her Fathers laughter inside of her head and stood up from her seated position, then walked off the porch into the torrential rain. The loud sound of thunder crashing overhead began to drown out the hysterical laughter of her Father and she held her head up at the sky, allowing the heavy rain to run down her face.

Caleb watched Gail confused for a moment, then turned towards Lucas and saw the worry in his eyes. He caught sight of Merlyn watching his cousin curiously, then made the decision to do something himself when no-one moved.

Gail inhaled deeply and ran her hand through her wet hair, then brought her head down and looked across the garden. Poppy Bowen stood under a tree with a bloody bone sticking out of her neck where Gideon had tore out a large chunk of flesh, the girl pointed accusingly at Gail and her Father's laughter became deafening in her ears. Suddenly a small hand closed over hers and the laughter stopped, Gail looked towards the soft touch and smiled wearily when she saw Caleb soaking wet standing next to her.

Lucas watched as his wife and child stood in the rain together holding hands, then sighed. He sensed Peter Emory's presence and it was taking all of his strength not to open up his minds eye to locate him, then snuff him out once and for all. He supposed stripping down Gail's guard may not have been the best idea at this current time and was at a loss as to what he was required to do here.

Merlyn sensed his thoughts and knew what she had to do. 'Yep, this is one undamaged family' she mocked, then walked out into the pouring rain to join her brother and cousin. When she reached her family she took hold of Gail's other hand and rested her head on her cousin's shoulder. She sensed Lucas' anger that she had included herself in this and revelled in the fact that she could still get to him so easily.

When Gideon came from around the back of the house and lay down at Gail's feet, Lucas let out a long sigh and ran his hand through his hair in exasperation at the sight of them all.

'What the hell did I walk in on?' Billy asked, after rushing to the shelter of the porch from his truck and stared at the group standing out in the torrential rain.

'Hell if I know...I need a drink' Lucas said irritably, then headed inside with Billy and chose to leave them all to it.

* * *

Matt sat on the steps outside the main entrance of the hospital, staring at the overcast evening sky. The torrential rain had lasted several hours while he was on shift; however, the sky appeared to be clearing up now that he had finished for the day.

This had been a strange shift and he found himself thinking about what Selena had said before she abruptly left his office. Matt had been trying his best to stay clear of anything Lucas Buck related, he had learned his lesson in the past and refused to get involved with things that did not concern him. If Trinity was a different town with different people, he may have stood a chance in making a difference here; however, people were stuck in their ways and although Lucas ruled this place on fear, people accepted the way things were and did not appear to want to do anything to make things better.

That did not suit Matt, it was not in his nature to sit back and allow such a man to get away with unspeakable things; however, no-one came to his aid when he had been targeted and he would not allow himself to make the mistakes he had previously made.

'There's nothin' more satifyin' than a good lesson learned' Lucas said smugly, appearing behind him and sitting down beside him.

Matt let out an exasperated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. 'Are you bothering Selena Coombs?' he asked automatically, before he realised what he was doing. It had been a long day and clearly he was more tired than he had realised

'My love has taken a bit of shine to that one recently so no, I'm not botherin' Selena Coombs...She accuse me of somethin' I should know about Doc'?' he asked curiously.

'If she had you wouldn't be hearing it from me' Matt advised, then stood up and began walking towards the main road.

Lucas let out a small laugh and followed close to him, he could sense the turmoil in his old adversary and knew he wanted to challenge him; however, the man had too much to lose these days, so he knew better. 'You know what I like about you Harvard?' he asked amused.

Matt shook his head in irritation and turned towards him. 'I doubt you like anything Sheriff'

'Oh come on...' Lucas smiled smugly, '...We've been through some intense things, that goes without sayin' but you came out of it mostly unscathed and you've manged to build yourself back up, if not make yourself stronger. Some people would be thankful for that opportunity'

Matt stared at him in disbelief. 'You had me sanctioned, isolated and mentally tortured for the better part of a year, then forced the one person I didn't think you could tarnish to give herself over to you, to allow me to be free and you want me to thank you?'

'That one person you held so dear had already givin' herself over to me. I didn't have to agree to do anythin', but did out of the goodness of my own heart...Gail was always gonna be mine Doc', you were just a little present to allow her to see me in a more favourable light' Lucas smiled devilishly.

'So you used me to trick her into believing you had redeemable qualities?' Matt asked, feeling his blood start to boil.

'I showed her all sides of me before we got married Matt, she accepted the good and the bad. You were just an added present to help her sway more my way'

Matt faced up to Lucas and stared defiantly into his eyes. 'There's no word for what you are, but she'll see it sooner or later'

Lucas stood his ground for a few moments, then remembered why he was here and allowed his demeanor to soften. 'Well until then Doc', your influence is needed to bring both our girls back to the world of the sane' he advised.

Matt's anger instantly disappeared at the mention of M. 'What do you mean? What did you do?' he asked concerned.

Lucas smiled and placed his hand around Matt's shoulder, then turned him towards the parking lot. 'For once I didn't do a thing friend, there must just be somethin' in the water aound here' he laughed, then led Matt towards his car.

* * *

Caleb sat with his cousin and sister, eating fish sticks at his favourite establishment on the Pier. It had been a strange day and he had suggested that going out may distract them from their depressing thoughts, he had been surprised when the girls agreed with his suggestion and now here they were content in each others company.

Merlyn let out a small sigh while she watched her brother eating as though nothing had happened, she sometimes envied his innocence and wished she had more time like that when she had been growing up. Her life now seemed unsalveagable, she was trying to remain positive; however, she felt herself being dragged down deeper into a dark place when she thought of her families actions of late. How could she have failed so much? This question was beginning to burden her and she did not know how to fix it all.

Gail sensed Caleb's contentedness and smiled, then sensed Merlyn's despair and glanced at her cousin with concern. She was not blind and knew Merlyn's feelings were down to difficulty accepting what she had become, the girl clearly felt responsible for Gail's behaviour of late and if Merlyn was not so torn up by it all Gail would have found her misguided guilt amusing.

She surveyed their surroundings and saw the Pier was emptying for the evening, this shack that Caleb liked so much was ready to close; however, it was obvious the owner was keeping it open for the Sheriff's wife and her party. Gail let out a small laugh at how important she appeared to be in this town now and shook her head at the absurdity of it all. It was a shame that her Mother was not so important, maybe someone would have spoken out against her abuse and prevented her death if she was further up the chain of command here.

Gail shook off the thought and nodded her appreciation to the owner courteously, before signalling Caleb to pick up his box of fish sticks and leaving to allow the shack to close for the evening. Merlyn followed alongside them quietly and they all walked slowly in silence down the Pier.

'It's turned into a nice night' Caleb said after he had finished his food and threw the small cardboard box into a bin as they passed.

Gail inhaled deeply and looked up at the calm night sky, the rain had completely stopped and the stars were clearly visible above them.

'Turns out being damned in this town makes the weather work in your favour' Merlyn said bluntly and felt her cousins eyes on her instantly.

Caleb's eyes opened wide at the comment; however, he continued to walk alongside his family, trying not to get involved in the underlying issue that was affecting his sister.

Gail disregarded Merlyn's comment and forced a warm smile for Caleb. 'How are you holding up?' she asked him, placing her arm around his shoulders.

Caleb let out a long breath and leaned into his cousin. 'Alright I guess...Where's Luke? Is he comin' home tonight?'

'Now why would you ask that?' Gail laughed, not expecting the question 'He's been keeping Abe sane while he's been banned from working at the Store on his own'

'I guess I miss him is all' Caleb shrugged and placed his arm around Gail's waist affectionately.

'You and your new perfect family' Merlyn said quietly to herself.

'What?' Caleb asked confused.

Merlyn turned towards her brother and regarded him bitterly. 'I'm in your family too, but you don't miss me...All you care about is your new family, all settled down in that stupid Mansion of yours' she snapped.

Gail felt Caleb's unease and reached into her pocket for her car keys. 'Do me favour, run down to the car and put the heating on for me' she requested, then handed him the keys.

'I can start the car?' Caleb asked excitedly, forgetting about his sisters hurtful comment.

'Carefully like I've showed you before, but don't touch the hand break' she warned, then smiled when he ran off excitedly down the Pier.

'Very responsible of you, letting a 13 year old have control of your car' Merlyn said sarcastically, as she continued to walk slowly with her cousin.

'I'm going to put your snappiness down to grief, or is there something else that's bothering you?' Gail asked knowingly.

Merlyn tried to search her cousin for an indication of what she was up to; however, she just remained calm and unchanged.

Gail let out a small laugh at the realisation of Merlyn trying to penetrate her guard and shook her head. 'I fend of Lucas Buck on a daily basis, you think you can penetrate my barrier?' she asked amused.

Merlyn sensed a slight change in her cousin and took a deep breath to calm herself down. 'Do you know what's botherin' me?' she asked curiously.

'Your guilt is unfounded, you carry the weight of far too much and you need to let it go' Gail advised.

'My family is goin' to hell and I'm just supposed to let that go?'

Gail let out a long sigh and shook her head. 'You're a young woman, you have no control over me or your brother so why are you trying to take on the burden of us all?' she asked in exasperation.

Merlyn stopped and turned towards her cousin, she had not had an honest conversation like this with her in a long time and she had not expected her to be so willing to talk. 'Did you kill Poppy?' she asked, needing to know for sure.

'Did Lucas kill you?' Gail shot back at her, forcing herself to remain composed.

Merlyn took a sharp intake of breath and let off an involuntary shiver. She had tried to prepare herself for this moment after Lucas informed her that Gail knew what he had done; however, no amount of preparation could prepare her for being asked outright like this. 'Did you kill Poppy?' she repeated, trying to remain calm.

'Gideon killed Poppy, not me. Did Lucas kill you?' Gail repeated, staring deep into her cousins eyes ready to catch a lie.

Merlyn tried to hold her ground and lasted a few moments before having to turn away. 'What's in the past doesn't matter no more' she whispered and looked down the Pier, wishing she had followed Caleb.

Gail let out a long breath and placed her hand reassuringly on Merlyn's shoulder. 'Poppy's in the past now too, all that matters is the future. Do you understand?' she asked, stroking Merlyn's face tenderly.

Merlyn felt uneasy at brushing away what had happened to Poppy; however, she nodded obediently, knowing this was what she had to do to help her family.

'Good, now let's get to your brother before he decides to go off on a joy ride and leave us here' Gail forced a smile, then linked her arm around Merlyn's and led her down the Pier to her car.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Lucas sat on the front porch of Gail's old property, drinking a glass of lemonade with Matt. This was not something he had ever envisioned himself doing; however, the man was integral in his plan on setting his love back on the right path and he was not too proud to enlist his help.

Matt drank to remainder of his lemonade and attempted to shake off the uneasy feeling at the thought of working with his adversary beside him. Lucas had been the cause of a lot of problems for him in the past; however, it appeared he was needed to help the ones he held dear.

'It's not too late for you to back outta this Harvard, you have become accustomed to this little set up here' Lucas advised, sensing his thoughts.

Matt inhaled deeply and shook off his doubts, he had committed to the actions they were taking and there was no turning around now. 'As long as you keep to your end of this, everything will be fine' Matt sighed, reminding himself that only good could come from what they were doing.

Lucas smiled and regarded the man respectfully, this is not something he would have done himself and the man deserved some credit for what he was giving up. Before he had a chance to talk more about the matter, the blood red Mustang pulled up in the driveway and Lucas got up to address his family.

Merlyn saw Lucas first, then got out of the car and rushed towards Matt. It was out of character for these two to be alone together and she suddenly became worried.

Gail got out of the car and watched as Caleb ran to Lucas, dismissing his sisters clear concern over his Fathers presence here. She walked towards the group slowly, attempting to survey the situation; however, Lucas had well and truly blocked his thoughts from her.

'Nice of you to finally join us' Lucas smiled, as Gail instinctively went to Matt's side.

'Are you alright?' she asked Matt, not taking her eyes off Lucas.

Matt moved M carefully to one side and turned his attention to his friend. 'I'm fine...everything's fine I promise' he said in a reassuring tone.

Gail turned towards him and could not see any visible signs of distress; therefore, she took a few steps closer to her husband and forced a smile. 'This isn't your usual haunt sweetheart'

'I got bored of Billy-boy's company and thought I'd enlist the help of a different associate to entertain me, while my wife abruptly left me at our home' he said sarcastically.

'I wanted to go, it ain't Gail's fault' Caleb interjected, not wanting Lucas to be mad at his cousin.

'It's OK Caleb, he's just jealous we ate all those fish sticks without him' Gail joked and squeezed her cousins shoulder reassuringly.

Caleb smiled, then went to his sister when he saw she appeared concerned.

Gail watched him go, then moved closer to Lucas so they could not be heard. 'What are you doing here?' she asked seriously.

'Waitin' for you' Lucas shrugged, then placed his hands on her hips and pulled her close.

Gail was about to continue her questioning when the door to her old house opened and Rocky came bouncing out, followed by Christie holding Lucy. Gail froze for a moment, then felt her darkness surge through her and attempted to move towards her old friend.

Lucas tightening his grip on her hips and pulled her to his side. 'Now, now Darlin', this ain't the time for any of that' he whispered in her ear, when he felt her tense in his arms.

Gail felt the rage running through her veins when she saw Christie and all she could think about was how she had threatened to expose her family, causing all of her old homicidal feelings to came flooding back. Gail could feel her control slipping and instinctively gave in to her dark urges, she started to struggle against Lucas' hold on her and felt nothing but a desire to reach Christie.

Suddenly Abe stepped out of the house holding Luke and Gail froze, Lucas' grip tightened on her again and he stroked her back gently.

'You gonna allow that ol' man to see you at your worst? If I'm honest, that weak heart of his might not take well to his Rosie ripping a woman apart in front of him' Lucas whispered in her ear knowingly.

Gail let out a frustrated sigh and relaxed in his arms, then forced a warm smile for her Uncle Abe.

'Atta girl...' he whispered soothingly, '...See, it's all about controllin' your urges and pickin' the right time to let go'

Gail stared up at him in irritation and shook her head, she could see the enjoyment in his eyes at being able to control her and it made her want to rip his throat out.

'Now, now love, there's no need to think that way...We're gonna take a little trip and leave Abe with your oldest friend, wave goodbye now' he ordered, then smiled when she obediently waved at Abe and allowed him to lead her to his car.

Merlyn watched in disbelief at how easily Gail was controlled and went to interject; however, Matt wrapped his arms around her stomach and pulled her close. 'Best behaviour...' he whispered in her ear, then started to lead her down the garden path'...He's our ride'

Merlyn stared up at Matt confused, but allowed him to lead her to Lucas' car. She did not know what was going on; however, she was so mentally drained that she did not have to strength to protest.

* * *

They all sat in silence as Lucas drove down the deserted roads to his desired destination. His passengers discomfort amused him and he had no intention of breaking the ice here.

Matt watched M as she stared out of the window uncomfortably, then got sick of the awkwardness and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. 'Why didn't either of you tell me who you really were? Why keep secrets from me?' he asked disappointingly.

Gail's eyes grew wide and she shot Lucas a concerned glance, when he remained unchanged she forced herself to stay calm and shot Merlyn a warning glance when she sensed the girl was about to break out into a panic. 'There's no secret's here Matt, but well done for making everything about you' she laughed, choosing to make light of his questions.

Merlyn stared directly at Gail with wide eyes and prayed for the ground to swallow her up. If Matt knew who she really was her life with him would be over, he was a fragile soul and could not handle the fact that he had been sleeping with a dead girl.

Matt focused on Gail and regarded her curiously. 'She's you're cousin Gail, I just don't get why you'd keep that from me'

Gail looked out of the her window and calmly watched the trees pass by. Surely if he had known who Merlyn really was he would not be so calm; therefore, she chose to trust that her husband had not thrown them under the bus here and took a deep breath. 'I didn't know I had to announce my family to the world when they showed up unexpectedly' she shrugged, mirroring Lucas' coolness.

Lucas smiled at her ability to read her surroundings and was impressed that she had not automatically jumped to the worst conclusion. If he could control her, she could be a great asset to him and the thought excited him.

He sensed the panic in Merlyn Ann and chose to put her out of her misery before she exploded, he had not intended for Matt to bring this matter up right now; therefore, he chose to take back control of the situation. 'I already told you Doc', this little Missy popped up from the illegitimate side of the Emory family. My love ain't gonna announce her illegitimate Uncle Steve, no matter how much of good man he was compared to her Father' he explained, then pulled up on the main street that weaved it's way through Goat Town and got out of the car.

Gail glanced at Merlyn confused, then got out of the car and rushed up to Lucas before Matt could join them. 'My illegitimate Uncle Steve?' she asked.

'Your Grand Daddy weren't as noble as your family liked to think, ask Abe and he'll fill you in' Lucas shrugged then stared down the long road, shaking his head at the state of the buildings around him.

'Wait, what? You're serious?' she asked in disbelief, then forced her demeanour to soften when Matt and Merlyn joined them.

'This is a story for another time' he whispered quietly and winked playfully at her, then placed his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. His plan was working perfectly, like he had suspected she had not mentioned Christie as her mind was too occupied with other things.

Childhood memories of her Grandfather flooded Gail's brain and she searched them all for any mention of an Uncle. As far as she was aware her Father was an only child, a fact that had come into question previously when she had found out her Father had a sister who had mysteriously disappeared. Now there was an brother? The depths of deceit her family had woven appeared endless and she was beginning to think that Gage's actions in eliminating her Father had been a necessary evil.

'Don't go there' Lucas whispered in her ear and pulled her gently across the road, leaving Matt and Merlyn alone.

Merlyn went to follow her cousin, sensing her protection slipping away; however, Matt wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in the opposite direction.

'Leave them be, I want to focus on you in a bit more detail while I have you all to myself' he smiled playfully.

Merlyn forced a smile, in an attempt to hide her discomfort and allowed him to lead her down the road.

* * *

Lucas and Gail walked casually through the deserted streets together, surveying the decaying buildings around them. Lucas remembered playing here as a child, the place was vibrant and full of life back then; however, now Goat Town was an eyesore, populated by the homeless or people who had given up on a life.

Gail had never been this deep into Goat Town, her stories had always involved her staying on the main street and she had avoided the darker parts of this area. Looking around now, she could truly see the neglect and it sickened her.

Lucas sensed her thoughts and smiled, she was playing the part he had envisioned perfectly and he was impressed at his ability to lead her when she usually liked to be defiant. He led her through the old short cut he used to take, past a large dark abandoned house and came back out onto the main street, opposite the Wicca Store he had tried so hard to keep her away from.

Gail took a sharp intake of breath when she realised where they were, then regarded Lucas curiously. 'I've not been here' she advised defensively.

'Since you disregarded my orders and came here of your own accord a few months back?' he asked knowingly.

Gail smiled mischievously and shrugged. 'A girl has to keep herself busy, especially when her husband keeps secrets about his past'

Lucas let out a small laugh and shook his head. 'Well that's just it, no more secrets' he stated, then placed a kiss on her forehead and walked towards his Mothers old place of work.

Gail watched him suspiciously for a moment, then followed him closer to the Wicca Store. She felt something calling to her darkness, willing her to enter; however, she pushed her darkness down and tried to remain in control. 'No more secret's? What's that supposed to mean?' she asked distrustfully.

Lucas sensed her distrust and smiled. 'I love how you can give yourself over to me in every way, but still manage to be suspicious of my intentions' he said sarcastically.

'Oh sweetheart, I've far from given myself over to you completely' she laughed, then pulled him close and placed a soft kiss on his lips. 'Now, elaborate on your previous comment lover'

Lucas laughed and stroked her cheek tenderly. 'It's about time you focused that destructive energy of yours on something more productive than hurting my townspeople'

'Oh please, I'm sure if I dug deep enough I'd find a whole acre full of your townspeople's bones that you've buried' she mocked in disbelief.

'The difference between you and I is I give people a chance, what you're doin' is unacceptable and you will rein yourself in' he ordered calmly.

Gail felt her rage flare up instantly at being spoken to like a child and stared deep into his eyes. 'And you think bringing Christie back is going to tame me? You're dreaming' she said defiantly.

Lucas saw the dark defiance in her eyes and felt his twin clawing to be released, his primal urges started to take over and he felt himself begin to give in to his own darkness. Suddenly the door to the Wicca Store slammed and it provided the distraction he needed to allow himself to regain his self control, he stood dominantly over her then grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face the Wicca Store. 'It's about time thing's got back to normal here...This is my wedding present to you' he advised, pushing down his doubt at this move.

Gail softened at his words and glanced over the property. 'The Wicca Store is mine?' she asked confused.

'It's all yours, everything...whether you fix it up or tear it down, it's on you now' he whispered in her ear, then brushed his lips over her neck seductively.

Gail shrugged him off of her and turned to face him. 'What do you mean Lucas? You're talking in riddles and I haven't got the patience for another one of your games'

Lucas sighed and glanced all around him. 'You've been reporting on this place for a year. Clean up Goat Town, the wealthy neglect a part of our history etc etc. Now that you've got the funds, do somethin' about it...or was it all just a ploy to add to your bleedin' heart image?' he smiled devilishly.

Gail regarded him suspiciously for a moment, then shook her head in exasperation. 'I have just enough funds to ensure my family is taken care of, considering how little I manage to work these days...You are the closet millionaire Sheriff, you do something about it' she snapped.

Lucas laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, then led her down the dark street. 'I'm Lucas Buck love, I don't go about bailin' out the needy unless they have somethin' to offer...You have half of what I own, a good noble reputation and you need a distraction. Reach for the stars like a good little Emory, or are you scared of tarnishing that perfect family name of yours?' he mocked.

Gail let out a long sigh, then leaned into him as they walked. 'I don't want a project, I want the Wicca Store'

'You get the Wicca Store when you take on the project... You could enlist Abe and Merlyn, it'll do them both the world of good to focus on something positive I imagine'

'If I do this, you leave me alone with that Store?' she asked, turning towards him.

'If I leave you alone with that Store, you leave Christie alone?' he asked, subtly outlining the terms of his agreement.

Gail stared deep into his eyes and shook her head. 'Lucy...'

'Belongs to Christie, not Matt and Harvard has made peace with that' he interrupted her, sensing her thoughts.

Gail smiled to hide her annoyance and started to walk ahead of him. He had thought of everything, knowing how desperately she wanted free reign in his Mothers Wicca Store and using it against her. 'What happen's to Christie?' she asked curiously.

'Whatever happen's to that busybody friend of yours is none of your concern, but rest assured it will be whatever I decide' he advised smugly, sensing how much she detested her lack of control right now.

Gail considered her options for a moment, then turned back towards him. 'Fine, you win...but you have no control over this project, this is mine'

Lucas smiled triumphantly, then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to his chest. 'I'm just the cash cow, you're the brains of the operation Mrs Buck'

Gail let out a frustrated sigh, then laughed. 'Alright, so how big a mess have I got to clean up due to your confessions about my family to Matt?'

Lucas led her back to where he sensed Matt and Merlyn where, knowing she was concerned about her cousin. 'I didn't tell him much, just of her sudden appearance into your life and her 19th birthday in the next few weeks'

'She was born in February Lucas' Gail sighed in exasperation and held her head in her hands.

'He doesn't know that and it'll give the girl a chance for a proper new start, assuming that's why you didn't celebrate her birthday in February' he said in a mock judgemental tone.

Gail shook her head in irritation and followed him obediently through the quiet streets, hoping Merlyn had not confessed all of their secrets in some guilt ridden feeling of morality, before she could get a handle on the situation Lucas had created.

-The End-


End file.
